


Two Old Fools In Love

by Fangirl_Forever



Series: Two Old Fools In Love [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awesome Dwalin, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Dwalin Feels, Dwalin Is A Softie, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Titles, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Thorin Feels, Thorin is a Softie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 16:58:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16790998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_Forever/pseuds/Fangirl_Forever
Summary: Dwalin wakes to an empty bed and knows his husband needs him.





	Two Old Fools In Love

**Author's Note:**

> @theprincessoferebor, on Tumblr, requested more of these “old fools in love”, which I’ve now decided is the name of this series, and I’m very happy to write more! Unfortunately, this was supposed to be fluff based on the prompt “forehead touching” I found on Google. But the anniversary of my late fiance’s death was a few days ago and I needed to channel my feelings, so this turned into slight angst and hurt/comfort. Also, warning for non graphic talk of house fire and death, I also slipped in a bit of backstory. 
> 
> I'm going to change the title another day, I can't think of anything better right now. 
> 
> *I don't own these characters.

Dwalin had always been a light sleeper, something that came in handy in his military career but had quickly become a burden after he retired. He had spent many months struggling to get any sleep at all, constantly being woken up by every sound outside or any movement on the bed, before his family and friends staged an intervention and convinced to see a doctor. It took a couple visits, but he got over his reservation about sleeping medication and had been getting the best sleep of his life for the past three years. But even though it was great, and he loved how much better his life was when he was getting the quality and quantity of sleep he needed, there was one downside that made him reconsider at least once a week. 

  
He woke up slightly and automatically rolled over and reached for his husband on the other side of the bed. When his hand encountered nothing but the cold sheets, his eyes immediately shot open and he sat up. He looked all around the dark bedroom and found it empty. The bathroom light was still off but when he strained his ears, he could hear the TV in the living room over the oscillating fan in the corner of the room. With a soft sigh, he threw the comforter back, turned on the bed to put his feet into his simple, black slippers, and stretched his arms out and above his head. Then he pulled his matching black bathrobe on and tied it closed as he walked from the bedroom. 

  
The sounds of the TV grew louder as he got closer to the living room and he recognized the cooking channel. He made it to the end of the hallway and leaned against the wall, watching his husband quietly for a moment. Thorin was sitting on the couch, his shoulders covered by a royal blue crochet throw blanket his mother had handmade for him years ago. Dwalin remembered the day he had received the blanket, at a party Dis had thrown for them the day before they were both scheduled to leave for their second four-year term. Dwalin looked towards the corner of the room where a large wooden trunk sat open, revealing the matching green blanket, still folded up and stored away. He quietly walked to the trunk and pulled out his blanket. He unfolded it and gently shook it out before placing it over his arm. He turned around and saw Thorin staring at him from the couch. He smiled and his husband gave him a half smile in return.   
  


“How long have you been awake?” Dwalin asked as he moved around the coffee table to sit down beside Thorin on the couch. Thorin shrugged and scooted over a couple inches for Dwalin. Dwalin sat down and got comfortable, spreading his blanket over his lap and legs before he put his arm around Thorin’s shoulders. He squeezed Thorin’s shoulders and Thorin leaned against him. “You should have woken me up?” Dwalin murmured, pressing a kiss to Thorin’s hair.   
  


“You need your sleep,” Thorin mumbled.  
  


Dwalin snorted and kissed Thorin’s hair again. “This new medication the doc gave me works just as well as the old stuff, you know that. My sleep is just fine.” Dwalin waited a moment before he nudged Thorin’s head with his chin and asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”  
  


Thorin lifted his head after a moment and shrugs. “It’s not like you don’t know what I’m going to say. We both have the same nightmares.”   
  


Dwalin lifted his hand, grabbed Thorin’s chin, and turned his head to make Thorin look at him. His husband reluctantly met his gaze and Dwalin recognized the haunted look that dimmed the bright blue eyes he loved. He stroked Thorin’s chin with his thumb and Thorin sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head forward into Dwalin’s hand. Dwalin moved his head and gently touched his forehead to Thorin’s. He felt Thorin’s breath hit his face as his husband exhaled heavily. He moved his hand from Thorin’s chin to his cheek and closed his eyes. Neither moved for several minutes and Dwalin dutifully kept his eyes closed when he heard Thorin’s quiet sobs.   
  


After almost fifteen minutes, Thorin’s sobs had died down to sniffles and Dwalin’s body was protesting the awkward position. Thorin sniffed and cleared his throat, then pulled away from Dwalin and wiped his face with one hand while readjusting his blanket with the other. Dwalin leaned back against the couch and stretched his arms out above his head, groaning in relief. Beside him, Thorin also leaned back, chuckling and watching him with a small smile. Dwalin lowered his arms, putting one around Thorin’s shoulders again. Thorin pressed against his side comfortably and pulled part of the green blanket over his lap, then he grabbed the remote and held it out to Dwalin. “Here, find something you want to watch.”   
  


Dwalin took the remote but didn’t change the channel, knowing that Thorin watched the food network when he missed his mother. He set the remote down on the arm of the couch and reached over to put his hand over Thorin’s. Thorin entwined their fingers with a smile and laid his head on Dwalin’s shoulder. Dwalin pressed his cheek against the top of Thorin’s head. They watched two episodes of Chopped before Thorin spoke again.   
  


“It wasn’t the job this time,” he said, just loud enough for Dwalin to hear it over the TV. Dwalin nodded without speaking, not surprised. He knew what day was coming up and wasn’t surprised when Thorin said, “It was mom. I went back into the house, I tried to save her. You didn’t stop me.” Dwalin sighed sadly, remembering the day he had to hold his husband back from running back into the burning house. He kissed Thorin’s temple, a silent apology, and Thorin lifted his head to look at Dwalin.   
  


“I know why you did it and I’m not mad about it, not anymore. But in my dreams, I try to save her. I always make it through the house to the nursery and I can see her standing by the window and I reach for her but when I touch her, she burns my hands and I can’t grab her and I have to watch her burn. I try over and over and over again and it never changes, I can never save her.” Thorin’s face was so pained and haunted Dwalin felt his heart clench in his chest. He resisted the urge to wrap both arms around Thorin and squeeze him with all his strength and settled for squeezing Thorin’s hand. Thorin returned the squeeze and then looked away from him back towards the TV.   
  


Dwalin waited a moment but when Thorin didn’t say anything else, he softly said, “You know there was nothing you could have done. The investigator said the space heater was sitting too close to the curtains and the wiring in the hallway smoke detector had gone bad.”   
  


Thorin abruptly sat up, the blue blanket falling from his shoulders. He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with his hands. “I know! But I should’ve checked the heater, I should’ve checked the damn fire alarms, I should’ve smelt the smoke sooner, I should’ve …” He trailed off and cursed. Dwalin silently sat up and soothingly rubbed his back through the old t-shirt Thorin wore to bed. A couple minutes pass by and neither of them speak, until Thorin breaks the silence with a ragged sigh. He lifts his head and stares into his hands. “I know there was nothing I could have done. I know that by the time the smoke reached the fire alarms in the rest of the house, it would have been difficult for anyone to get through the hallway, let alone an old woman and two little kids. And I know that she died of smoke inhalation before the fire got to her. I know she didn’t suffer. I know all that.”   
  


“That’s good, Thorin,” Dwalin praised him with a small smile, still rubbing his back. “Those therapy sessions are paying off.”   
  


Thorin snorted and shook his head, then put his hands together and rested his chin on his knuckles. “Logically, I know all that, Dwalin. But my brain isn’t logical when I’m asleep.”  
  


Dwalin scooted closer to Thorin, pressing his thigh against Thorin’s securely. The touch seemed to comfort Thorin because he smiled at Dwalin and reached over to squeeze Dwalin’s leg before grabbing the remote. He turned the TV off, tossed the remote into the recliner, and grabbed the blue blanket, then stood up. He reverently folded the blanket up and set it on the coffee table. Dwalin folded his green blanket back up while Thorin stretched with a low groan. Setting the green blanket on top of the blue, Dwalin stood up, turned and grabbed Thorin’s hands. He pulled gently and Thorin turned to face him. Another tug had Thorin stepping closer and Dwalin let go of his hands so he could grip the back of Thorin’s neck instead.   
  


He used that hold on Thorin to hold him still and he pressed his forehead to Thorin’s again. Both he and Thorin kept their eyes open, staring at each other for a long moment before Dwalin gave him a tender smile and kissed the corner of his lips. “Just try to remember that she saved our nephews. And she wouldn’t want you doing this to yourself.” He pressed several more kisses all over Thorin’s lips, then gave him one long, sweet kiss, before he lifted his head.   
  


Sniffing slightly, Thorin nodded and murmured, “I know. Let’s go back to bed.” He moved Dwalin’s hands from his neck and kept hold of one, pulling Dwalin behind him back to the bedroom. 


End file.
